To ensure a good academic performance for your child
Grade 1 teacher of Crawford International School, Sonett Swart, states that a lack of communication between parents and teachers can lead to the learning disruption of a learner.
As a parent, the biggest priority is to see your child succeed in everything, especially education.
One thing that can ensure a smooth sailing education career for learners is to be involved and to develop a good relationship with teachers.
According to Sonett Swart, a Grade 1 teacher from Crawford International School, it has been proven that maintaining a solid relationship with your child’s teacher will improve the learner’s academic performance. While focusing on various factors such as the development of social skills and emotional well-being, the involvement of a guardian or parent is crucial.
“Children are perceptive; they will have respect for their teachers when they see that their parents value their teacher and take an interest in what goes on in the classroom. Communication and respect between the two parties are important,” said Swart.
Four pillars to activate and maintain a good partnership with teachers were shared by Swart:
- Reach out to your child’s teacher at the beginning of the year
Contact your child’s teacher as soon as possible. You don’t need to wait for parent meetings to introduce yourself.
- Indicate your preferred method of communication
People easily misinterpret messages sent on WhatsApp. By knowing the parents’ preferred channel of communication, teachers will know whether a phone call, email or meeting would be the best channel to communicate any changes or concerns.
- Don’t limit communication to when something negative happens
When your child informs you about a fun project they completed in class or that they enjoyed a specific activity, provide feedback to the teacher. This enables the teacher to capitalise on your child’s enthusiasm and promote
learning.
- Consider both sides of the story
Children tend to react with emotion rather than with reason, get both sides of the story to gain insight into what happened before you form conclusions and take the next steps. A lot of confusion can easily be resolved with a quick phone call.
“Parental involvement in your child’s education can greatly impact their performance in school. In the end, parents, teachers and learners work together as a team and effective communication is essential to help the child navigate through their educational journey.”
